Neil Young News: How Neil Young* Got DEVO on ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1978

Neil Young News: How Neil Young* Got DEVO on ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1978

Neil Young Live At The Nokia

This was a birthday present from my three kids for my birthday in November of 2007.Best birthday present I have ever received. My daughter got them from a close friend who works at Goldenvoice and included a pass to an eclusive side door club where the band passed through and actually hung out. Saw andgot to hang with Ben Keith and Rick Rosas for starters.Never did see Neil Old but both of his son's were there. And Dennis Hopper and his son had blown off the BAFTA Awards going on across town that night to come see Neil play as well. Then my daughter returned from the women's loo and informed me that Darryl Hannah and friends were in there hanging out and had basically taken it over. Neil commenced solo sans The Horse with his guitar and went through an amazing setlist of old and dusties I hadn't heard in years let alone live. "Love Art Blues" and "Sad Movies" to name a couple come to mind. For the electric second half of the show Neil came out and went through most of his then new "Chrome Dreams 2" album and had it cranked up. Had a guy at a sketch board drawing for the duration of the concert which included an oncore. May be the last time I see the man live but it ranks right up there with the best if not the best ever.And my children survived to tell the tale!

Summer Solstice Celebration At Chumash Indian Village - Malibu

This was sponsored by the Ventura Coservancy and the Sierra Club of Oxnard.I was invited by my Friend Trevor Smith local Oxnard Sierra Cub chairperson.The authentic village recreation is funded by a 20 year grant by the State of California. The location is on a bluff in Malibu overlooking Nicholas Beach(Point Zero) where the members of the tribe actually live and maintain it. Proceedings commenced around 5:30 with food served to guests in the form of BBQ chicken rice and beans. The village is an eerily authentic recreation of a 3,000 year old Chumash Indian Village with straw warming huts, a long boat just like the Indians used to use to sail and fish from and a ceremonial "pit" constructed in the middle of the village in a circular "Stonehenge" configuration. Three male members of the tribe emerged at around 6:30 and proceeded to sing, dance and chant their way to the ceremonial pit area from one of the warming huts up the hill from the pit. A Chumash princess then lit a fire in the center of the pit and sage was added to the fire as a blessing. The 100 or so Celebrants were then instructed to alternately face North, South, East and West as an incantation in the form of blessings was read with each direction representing the different seasons of the year, and hopes and prayers expressed for each of the seasons in the year ahead. Blessings were then given and the current BP oil crisis addressed as the earth "bleeding" in response to man's mistreatment of the planet. As celebrants sat in a circle around the pit as the sage burned, stories were told about tribe members who were called out and celebrants invited to chant and respond to solicitations given to them from the chief. Three hours later the group disbursed to their respective cars parked on nearby Pacific Coast Highway and homes nearby. Quite an enriching cultural experience.

NEIL YOUNG COCAINE EYES 1/11/89

Iron Butterfly live at the Topanga Corral

The Topanga Corral was a small little club ensconsed in the Topanga Canyon between the coast and the valley. The best thing about this place was you never knew who the house band was going to be. One night it could be Canned Heat or some other seminal hippie band, because alot of them lived up in the canyon. One night my best friend John Hutchison's sister Ann had randomly decided to go there for beers and the band turned out to be Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers! So you just never knew. So on this night we decided to take a trip to the club for beers, not really knowing who would be there. As it turned out, the four original members of the Iron Butterfly had decided to regroup and use the club to practice. Of course we stayed long enough to hear In A Gadda Da Vida(baby!) I'm still not sure of the year, but the Butterfly had been out of circulation and regarded as a novelty act(or a joke) by the eighties. But for their signature tune they Had to of had their amps turned up to stadium levels. The sound filled that little place and I thought the roof and walls were coming down. Once in a while I have to play this one at that same sound level and relive the experience, complete with the squawks and feedback. And I'm back at The Corral!

Neil Young and Crazy Horse Live at the Forum, 1978

I'm Lazing in my dinky little apartment on San Vicente Blvd and there comes a knock at the door. I answer and it's my next door neighbor(and old high school friend) Tom. He's holding two concert tickets in his hand and wants to know if I'm interested. He has a schedule conflict and needs to get rid of them. Two tickets to Rust Never Sleeps and would I be interested! HolySHIT!? Does a bear shit in the woods?! I take him up on his offer in a millisecond and prepare for the concert. As we're preparing to go, unbeknownst to most of the concert goers, a fire has been set on the other side of the Santa Monica Mountains by some piro and is burning , out of control backed by a fierce windstorm. The smoke is turning the sky a brownish grey and backed by the Santa Anas, the firemen are powerless to stop it. On the street behind us, owners of expensive homes are backing Uhauls up to their houses and loading them with their belongings. For even though the fire is clearly visible from the bluff overlooking the Santa Monica Canyon, which is full of expensive homes, the fire, now a firestorm, is clearly heading straight for the beach. And not for our little apartment. And no dumb epic firestorm is going to keep me from seeing the concert of my life! As we course down Manchester Blvd in bumper to bumper traffic, it is now dark and ashes and sparks are raining down from the sky. It almost appears to be the Appocolypse! But Neil and the Horse don't disapoint. Our seats are halfway up the left side, a great location. And it is easily the LOUDEST concert and best stage set-up I have ever been to. I can only imagine how sublime it must be to have seats in one of the first ten rowes! I don't think my ears have ever recovered from this sound onslaught. And, during the concert, the fire burns Neil's little Trancas beach house to the ground. In an interview, Young states the symbolism suits him just fine, as He has already moved to his new enclave in La Honda up north. They caught the little miscreant who set the blaze, and he is in the clink for Life. Obviously never got enough attention growing up or something. But the concert remains high up on my best ever list. I can still smell the Horse to this Day!!!

The Source: The Untold Story of Father Yod, Yahowa 13, and the Source Family by Isis And Electricity Aquarian

An amazing parable of the 70's by someone who lived it. It's the story of a judo master, bank robber, and accused murderer, Jim Baker, who experiences an intense yogic conversion and goes on to re-invent himself as the charismatic leader, Father Yod.As the spiritual 'Father' he plays host to a bevy of beautiful Sons and Daughters who collectively form the Family. The book challenges your preconceived notions of cults and digs deeper into the nuanced meanings of living in a grand social experiment. The photos and cd in the back of the book alone make this worth the purchase price. It was written by by one of Father's polyamorous wives Isis Aquarian, and a graphic depiction of family life as they lived it. Quite an affecting book, you will be ready to join the family and run away with them by the end of the book. I know I sure as hell was!